Before you but ANY 2nd hand car, take it to a garage, even two garages, to get an opinion on how good a state the vehicle is in.
Useful URLs include:
http://pennstate.craigslist.org/
http://pennstate.craigslist.org/car/
and even the ‘Marketplace’ application on Facebook.
Try not to by an Out-of-State car if you have to as you'll have to register it in Pennsylvania which can be a real hassle (see below).
Make you get the title to the car you are buying and also check to see if the title needs to be notarized (all Pennsylvania titled cars do).
If you want to buy from a dealer (second hand), there are quite a few on West College Avenue, between Whitehall Rd and Blue Course Drive.
Research the vehicle identification number (VIN) of the car you'll potentially buy to find out if it's from Louisiana/Mississippi areas. Though less common now, many cars that were flooded in the Katrina hurricanes were shipped around the country and re-sold. Though they run now, they won't last for more than a few years due to water damage.
